1. I sprang up this morning and got myself cleaned up and made sure I left the tiny house I'd rented spiffy and tidy. I loaded by bags in the Camry and bolted down I-205, left the freeway, and wound my way to Harney Street Cafe in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland where I met up with Terry and Nancy Turner for breakfast.
We got in some very solid yakking about education and the Oregon elections and other stuff, said farewell, and I hopped back in the Camry and roared down to Eugene.
2. I did a little shopping and went through my usual morning routine on my computer over coffee until the tiny house I've rented in east Eugene was ready.
I got settled in and drove to the Ninkasi Better Living Room where I met with many of the people I used to dine with on Thursday nights at Billy Mac's. We all wished Billy Mac's was still open, but Mike, Pam, Russell, Lynn, Ann, Kathleen, and I had a rousing time talking about a million different things.
It was a great feeling being back with these friends. Those Billy Mac's nights were many of my favorite of all the great times I had in Eugene and it was all I could do not to break out and sing, "Hail! Hail! The gang's all here!" Well, mostly we were all there tonight and it was awesome.
3. After a couple hours of great conversation, I headed over to Jeff's house for more superb conversation. We had a great discussion about Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Jeff told me about concerts he's been to lately -- two Dylan shows, an evening with Mikaela Davis, his great time at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, and others. We reminisced about the 06-23-1990 Grateful Dead show we experienced together on a gorgeous afternoon in Autzen Stadium in Eugene. We secured our plans to find each other at the Wednesday, Nov. 2 benefit show at the Alberta Rose Theater in Portland and both hoped Jeff would arrive in time to hear the Nine Days Wonder set.
After our superb conversation, I headed over to Sam Bond's Garage, ordered one pint of Georgetown's extraordinary Johnny Utah Pale Ale and listened to the regular Tuesday night Bluegrass Jam. Babes with Axes bassist TR Kelley jammed for a while and I got to talk with her and Randy for a few minutes as they were leaving. I loved being back in Sam Bond's Garage, loved hearing the musicians work out one tune after another, and, when the jam ended, I just sat for a while staring into the half distance, remembering the many many great afternoons and nights of socializing and listening to live music I enjoyed over the years in this best of all neighborhood watering holes.
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